[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 87 (Tuesday, May 5, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26681-26682]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-09565]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Project No. 3777-011]


Town of Rollinsford, New Hampshire; Notice of Application 
Accepted for Filing, Soliciting Motions To Intervene and Protests, 
Ready for Environmental Analysis, and Soliciting Comments, 
Recommendations, Terms and Conditions, and Prescriptions

    Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been 
filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.
    a. Type of Application: Subsequent Minor License.
    b. Project No.: 3777-011.
    c. Date filed: August 29, 2019.
    d. Applicant: Town of Rollinsford, New Hampshire (Town).
    e. Name of Project: Rollinsford Project.
    f. Location: On the Salmon Falls River in Strafford County, New 
Hampshire and York County, Maine. No federal lands are occupied by the 
project works or located within the project boundary.
    g. Filed Pursuant to: Federal Power Act 16 U.S.C. 791(a)-825(r).
    h. Applicant Contact: Mr. John Greenan, Green Mountain Power 
Corporation, 1252 Post Road, Rutland, VT 05701; Phone at (802) 770-
2195, or email at [email protected].
    i. FERC Contact: Bill Connelly, (202) 502-8587 or 
[email protected].
    j. Deadline for filing motions to intervene and protests, comments, 
recommendations, terms and conditions, and prescriptions: 60 days from 
the issuance date of this notice; reply comments are due 105 days from 
the issuance date of this notice.
    The Commission strongly encourages electronic filing. Please file 
motions to intervene and protests, comments, recommendations, terms and 
conditions, and prescriptions using the Commission's eFiling system at 
http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/efiling.asp. Commenters can submit 
brief comments up to 6,000 characters, without prior registration, 
using the eComment system at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ecomment.asp. You must include your name and contact information at the 
end of your comments. For assistance, please contact FERC Online 
Support at [email protected], (866) 208-3676 (toll free), or 
(202) 502-8659 (TTY).
    The Commission's Rules of Practice require all intervenors filing 
documents with the Commission to serve a copy of that document on each 
person on the official service list for the project. Further, if an 
intervenor files comments or documents with the Commission relating to 
the merits of an issue that may affect the responsibilities of a 
particular resource agency, they must also serve a copy of the document 
on that resource agency.
    k. This application has been accepted for filing and is ready for 
environmental analysis at this time.
    l. Project Description: The existing Rollinsford Project consists 
of: (1) A 317-foot long, 19-foot-high concrete-masonry dam; (2) a 70-
acre impoundment with a gross storage capacity of 456 acre-feet at a 
normal elevation of 71.25 feet National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 
1929, including the 15-inch spillway flashboards; (3) an 82-foot-long, 
52-foot-wide intake facility; (4) a 350-foot-long, 10-square-foot 
concrete penstock that empties into a 250-foot-long, 9-foot diameter 
steel penstock that directs flow to a 30-foot-long, 40-foot-wide 
reinforced concrete forebay that is integral with the powerhouse; (5) a 
38-foot-long, 60-foot-wide concrete and brick masonry powerhouse 
containing two, vertical Francis turbine-generator units rated at 750 
kilowatts (kW) each, for a total installed capacity of 1,500 kW; (6) a 
38-foot-long, 34-foot-wide tailrace channel; (7) a 100-foot-long 
underground transmission line that extends from the powerhouse to a 
step-up transformer, where voltage is increased from 4.16-kilovolt (kV) 
to 13.8 kV; and (8) appurtenant facilities.
    The Town voluntarily operates the project in a run-of-river mode 
using an automatic pond level control system, such that outflow from 
the project approximates inflow. The existing license requires the 
licensee to release: (1) A continuous minimum flow of 10 cubic feet per 
second (cfs) or inflow, whichever is less, from the dam to the bypassed 
reach; and (2) a minimum flow of 115 cfs or inflow, whichever is less, 
through the powerhouse to the downstream reach. The average annual 
generation was 5,837.9 megawatt-hours for the period of record from 
2005 to 2018.
    The Town proposes to: (1) Continue to operate the project in a run-
of-river mode; (2) provide a minimum flow release of 35 cfs or inflow, 
whichever is less, into the bypassed reach; (3) install and operate an 
upstream eel ramp; (4) install and operate a downstream fish passage 
facility for adult eels and resident and migratory fish species; (5) 
implement nighttime turbine shutdowns from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. during the 
months of September and October for 3 consecutive nights following rain 
accumulations of 0.5 inch or more over a 24-hour period; (6) conduct a 
study to quantify movements of river herring and American shad 
migrating downstream from the project tailwater through the bypassed 
reach to the project dam; and (7) consult with the New Hampshire and 
Maine State Historic Preservation Officers to determine the need to 
conduct archaeological or historical surveys and to implement avoidance 
or mitigation measures before beginning any land-disturbing activities 
or alterations to known historic structures within the project 
boundary.
    m. In addition to publishing the full text of this notice in the 
Federal Register, the Commission provides all interested persons an 
opportunity to view and/or print the contents of this notice, as well 
as other documents in the proceeding (e.g., license application) via 
the internet through the Commission's Home Page (http://www.ferc.gov) 
using the ``eLibrary'' link. Enter the docket number excluding the last 
three digits in the docket number field to access the document (P-
3777). At this time, the Commission has suspended access to the 
Commission's Public Reference Room due to the proclamation declaring a 
National Emergency concerning the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) 
issued by the President on March 13, 2020. For assistance, contact FERC 
at [email protected] or call toll-free, (886) 208-3673 or 
(202) 502-8659 (TTY).
    You may also register online at http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/esubscription.asp to be notified via email of new filings and issuances 
related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC 
Online Support.
    n. Anyone may submit comments, a protest, or a motion to intervene 
in accordance with the requirements of Rules of Practice and Procedure, 
18 CFR 385.210, .211, and .214. In determining the appropriate action 
to take, the Commission will consider all protests or other comments 
filed, but only those who file a motion to intervene in accordance with 
the Commission's Rules may become a party to the proceeding. Any 
comments, protests, or motions to intervene must be received on or 
before the specified comment date for the particular application.
    All filings must: (1) Bear in all capital letters the title 
``PROTEST'', ``MOTION TO INTERVENE'', ``COMMENTS,'' ``REPLY COMMENTS,'' 
``RECOMMENDATIONS,'' ``TERMS AND CONDITIONS,'' or ``PRESCRIPTIONS;'' 
(2) set forth in the

[[Page 26682]]

heading the name of the applicant and the project number of the 
application to which the filing responds; (3) furnish the name, 
address, and telephone number of the person protesting or intervening; 
and (4) otherwise comply with the requirements of 18 CFR 385.2001 
through 385.2005. All comments, recommendations, terms and conditions 
or prescriptions must set forth their evidentiary basis and otherwise 
comply with the requirements of 18 CFR 4.34(b). Agencies may obtain 
copies of the application directly from the applicant. A copy of any 
protest or motion to intervene must be served upon each representative 
of the applicant specified in the particular application. A copy of all 
other filings in reference to this application must be accompanied by 
proof of service on all persons listed in the service list prepared by 
the Commission in this proceeding, in accordance with 18 CFR 4.34(b) 
and 385.2010.
    a.
    b.
    c.
    d.
    e.
    f.
    g.
    h.
    i.
    j.
    k.
    l.
    m.
    n.
    o. A license applicant must file no later than 60 days following 
the date of issuance of this notice: (1) A copy of the water quality 
certification; (2) a copy of the request for certification, including 
proof of the date on which the certifying agency received the request; 
or (3) evidence of waiver of water quality certification.
    p. Procedural Schedule: The application will be processed according 
to the following schedule. Revisions to the schedule will be made as 
appropriate.

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                  Milestone                           Target date
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Filing of interventions, protests, comments,   June 2020.
 recommendations, preliminary terms and
 conditions, and preliminary fishway
 prescriptions.
Commission issues Environmental Assessment...  December 2020.
Comments on Environmental Assessment.........  January 2021.
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    Final amendments to the application must be filed with the 
Commission no later than 30 days from the issuance date of this notice.

    Dated: April 29, 2020.
Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2020-09565 Filed 5-4-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6717-01-P